Display case



Dec. 29, 1964 M. PARKER 3,163,023

DISPLAY CASE Filed Sept. 3; 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a A I f H l l l I l I I I i I I; 5s

INVENTOR Morton Parker B; $2. 6mm

ATTORNEY FIG.2

Dec. 29, 1964 M. FARKER 3,163,0 3

DISPLAY CASE Filed Sept. 3, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a4 FIG.3. |=|e.4.

I4 24 28 g s 4 36 w 4 4 l/ I Z I 1'3 i :I 5 q 36 3 a o s3 34.so s4 F|G.5 F|G.6. MENTOR Morton Parker ATTORNEY United States Patent C) i 3,163,923 DESPLAY CASE Morton Parker, 2385 Barker Ave, Erenx, Nil. Filed Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 396,204 6 Claims. {(1 5246) This invention relates generally to merchandise display cases and more particularly to a vertically oriented dis play case adapted for the exhibition of foods requiring a refrigerated environment, such as fish, meat, and the like.

Whereas merchandise is more readily observable when shown with the surface thereof facing the viewer, the desideratum of displaying foods in such a manner will be appreciated. Ice-containing display cases heretofore known, are usually unable to present a plan view of the foods on display therein inasmuch as the ice reposing on the bottom wall thereof and supporting the foods resting thereon afford an angular view of such foods unless the viewer is able to assume a viewing position from directly above the foods, such a position being normally inconvenient or unfeasible.

Accordingly, and consonant with the foregoing, the instant invention has for an object the provision of an icecontaining display case featuring the attribute of supporting sea foods and the like whereby the surface of such foods will be normal to the line of vision of the viewer.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the foregoing character which will enable the maintenance of contiguity between the cooling surface of the ice and the foods while both ice and foods are sup ported in a position vertical to the base of the display case.

A further object of this invention resides in the provision of a display case including means which will retain the ice against the rear wall of said case and means adapted to cause retention of foods against the cooling surface of the ice continually notwithstanding the passage of the ice from the solid to the liquid phase.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device in accordance with the foregoing which includes means for tilting the normally vertically oriented cabinet housing to enable loading said cabinet with food and ice.

Still another object of the instant invention is to provide a food supporting tray having means associated therewith which will support displayed foods while the supporting surface thereof is in the vertical position.

Another general object of the present invention is to provide a device of the described character which will be simple in structure, economical of manufacture, easily and quickly installed and highly effective in use.

Other objects and advantages of the instant display case will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice of the invention, the same being realised and attained by means of the structure defined and pointed out in the appended claims.

The accompanying drawings referred to herein and con-- stituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of the display case containing the baflie, ice and merchandise supporting trays as illustrated in operative and assembled form, one side thereof being removed therefrom;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the display case shown in FIGURE 1 including a tilting mechanism associated therewith;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional side elevational view.

of the invention shown in tilted position and partially 3,l63,23 Patented Dec. 29, 1964 disassembled in preparation of loading thereof with ice and merchandise;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of the device in loaded operative position;

FIGURE 5 is the view shown in FIGURE 4 illustrating the contiguous relation of trays and the cooling surface of the ice notwithstanding the partially melted condition of the ice; and

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the baffle as used in the invention.

Referring now in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, FIGURES 1-5 show the display case designated generally by numeral 1 in the various positions as heretofore described.

More specifically, the display case structure includes a hollow cabinet having top, bottom and rear walls 2, 4 and 6, respectively, a removably secured transparent front wall 8, and side walls 10 and 12, said walls forming a generally parallelepiped configuration. Extending longitudinally at the forward end of said top wall is hinged forward section 14 which is secured to said top wall by hinges 16, 16 as shown in the drawings, said forward section being further provided with downwardly directed channel 18, which in conjunction with upwardly directed channel 24 disposed longitudinally of said bottom wall 4, and opposing channels 22 and 24 disposed within side walls 16 and 12, respectively, function to secure said transparent front wall 8 to said cabinet as shown in FIG- URES 1, 4 and 5. By raising said forward section 14 as seen in FIGURE 3, said front wall 8 may be removed by the upward withdrawal thereof whereafter the contents of said cabinet may be removed or replenished.

Ice-retaining baffle 26 which is resiliently mounted within said cabinet is formed of flexible material, e.g., polyvinyl sheet, having top, bottom, and side edges, 28, 3t and 32, 32, respectively, defining a matrix substantially the size of said rear wall 6, spring members 34 being connected at eyeleted openings 36 provided adjacently of said top and bottom edges as is clearly disclosed in H6- URE 6 of the drawings. Passages 38, disposed through said baffie are provided to removably receive pivot ears 4t projecting from the reverse surface of merchandise upporting trays as will be hereinbelow described.

As will be observed in FIGURE 1, said trays 42 may be of any suitable configuration and are essentially composed of base portion 44, flange portion 45 positioned peripherally thereabout, merchandise-holding pins 48 projecting upwardly of the obverse surface of said base and said pivot ear 4t) projecting rearwardly of the reverse surface thereof. It will be appreciated that the merchandiseholding-means shown preferably as pins 48 may be varied depending upon the type of merchandise to be displayed. That is, meat may merely require a serrated surface while shrimp would require sharp projections as illustrated.

Referring again to said baffle 26, it will be seen that said spring members 34 connected thereto are removably securable to hook members 56, 51, the latter being secured to said rear wall 6 of said cabinet adjacently of the top and bottom walls thereof. Accordingly, as seen in the drawings, said spring and hook members support said baffle in resilient superposed relation with respect to said rear wall, a quantity of ice 52 being receivable within the area between said bafile and rear wall for firm retention therebetween. To load said area, the cabinet may be tilted rearwardly on hinges 53 in accordance with the disclosure to follow and the bafile unhooked from the upper hook member 59 as shown in FIGURE 3. After loading with ice, the springs are then rehooked and the cabinet is again vertically oriented as shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. With particular reference to FIGURE 4, it will be noted that springs 34 are substantially distended wh le the expansion of said springs is reduced as shown in FIGURE by reason of the reduction of the volume of ice remaining. It will be appreciated that water produced by the melting ice is permitted to drain through drain opening 54 within bottom wall and drain outlet 56 within plat form 58, said opening and outlet being aligned for mutual registry when said cabinet is vertically oriented. Or" course where Dry-Ice" is used, the drain will not be required. It will be appreciated that resilient means other than spring members 343 may be utilized. Baffle as, it will also be understood, may be formed of resilient mate al, and straps, e.g., may then be employed in lieu of spring members 34.

Arm members 66' pivotally secured at one end to pivot cars 62 projecting from said rear wall 5 as shown, are thus adapted to respectively arcuately in planes normal to said rear wall.

Following the ice-loading operation as hereinabove described, the other end of arms 6% are pivotally and removably connected to said pivot ears 4%? subsequent to the placement of said ears 45) of trays 42 within respective passages 38 of said bafile, the reverse surface of said trays being thereby secured contiguously with respect to said baille and in spaced relation with respect to the said front Wall. As shown in FIGURES and S, the arms and trays will move downwardly as the bailie is drawn taut toward the rear wall as the volume of ice lessens, such tautness being occasioned by the contraction of springs To the end of facilitating the tilting of display cases according to the present invention, where such cases ire too large for manual handling, a preferred tilting mechanism is shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. As disclosed therein, electric motor 64 is drivingly connected to reduction gearbox 66 through drive shaft es, reciprocating crank 70 and crank arm 72 being linked as shown, the latter being pivotally connected at 74 to the rear wall of the display case cabinet. Accordingly, by dint of said mechanism, the cabinet may be tilted rearwardly as shown in broken line designation and replaced to the vertically oriented position shown in solid line designation. It will be understood that the tilting mechanism may be omitted in connection with display cases manageable without the assistance thereof. Further, Where required, mechanisms varying from the one shown herein may, if suitable, be utilized in lieu thereof.

Although the preferred embodiment of the display case structure has been described, it will be understood that Within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the forms, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a merchandise display case, the combination comprised of a hollow cabinet, a platform supporting said cabinet, a resiliently mounted ice-retaining baffle within said cabinet, a plurality of arm members mounted therewithin, and a plurality of merchandise supporting trays associated with said arms, said cabinet having top, bottom, rear and side walls and a removably secured transparent front well, said top wall having a hinged forward section enabling removal of said front wall, said bottom wall having a drain opening therein, said ice-retaining ballle being formed of a sheet of flexible material having top, bottom, and side edges, a plurality of spring members connected to said baffle adjacently said top and bottom edges thereof, and a plurality of passages disposed throng, said battle, a plurality of hook members secured to the rear Wall of said cabinet adjacently the top and bottom walls thereof, said spring members being removably secured to said hoolr members to thereby support said baffle in resilient superposed relation with respect to said rear wall, a quantity of ice being receivable between said baflie and rear wall for firm retention thercbetween, sail arm members being pivotally secured at one end to said rear wall and adapter to swing arcuatcly in planes normal to said rear wall, said trays each having a base portion, a n nge portion positioned peripherally tl reabout, merchandise-holding-means projecting upwt ly of the obverse surface of said base and a pivot car projecting from the rever e surf thereof, the said other end of said arms being piv tally and removably connected to said pivot ears, the latter being received within respective passages of said bathe, said reverse surface 0t said trays being secured contiguously with respect to said balfie and in spaced relation with respect to said front wall, said platform having a drain outlet therein, said drain opening and drain outlet being aligned for mutual registry, said cabinet being hingcdly connected to said platform whereby said cabinet may be tilted rearwardly to permit ice and merchandise to be loaded therewithin, and tilting means associated with said cabinet.

2. A merchandise display case as set forth in claim 1, wherein the battle is characterized by a width whereby the side edges thereof are adjacent the side walls of said cabinet.

3. A merchandise display case as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tilting means comprises an electric motor drivingly 355G ated with a reciprocating crank, and a crank arm pivotally' connected to said reciprocating crank and the rear wall of said cabinet.

A merchandi display case compriseo of a hollow cabinet, a resiliently mounted ice-re .sing baffle within said cabinet, at least one arm member mounted within said cabinet and at least one merchandise supporting tray removably connected to said at least one arm, said cabinet having top, bottom, rear and side walls and a transparent front wall, said ice-retaining bafile being formed of flexible material, said bafile being removably secured to said rear wall and adapted for superposition with respect thereto, a ity of ice being receivable between said baffie and rear wall for firm retention thcrebetween, at least one passage disposed through said bathe, said at least one arm member being pivotally secured at one end to said rear wall the other end of said arm being received in said at least one passage, and said arm being adapted to swing arcuately in a plane normal to said rear wall. said at least one tray being pivotally connected to said other end of said arm member, said bafile being disposed intermediate said tray and said rear wall, said tray being in spaced relation with respect to said front wall.

5. A merchandise display case comprised of a hollow cabinet, an ice-retaining baffle within said cabinet, said bani-e havir1 at least one passage disposed therethrough, at least one merchandise supporting tray, and tray supporting means, said tray supporting means being adapted to pass through said at least one passage, said cabinet having top, bottom, front, rear and side walls, said iceretaining bafile being resiliently and removably secured to said rear wall in spaced, uperposed relation with respect thereto, said tray supporting means being adapted to support said tray contiguously against said balile, said baifie being intermediate said tray and said rear wall, said rear wall, tray and bail'le being substantially vertically disposed.

6. A merchandise display case as set forth in claim 5 wherein said tray supporting means comprises an arm member pivotally connected to said rear wall and said tray.

References (fitted by the Examiner UNlTED STATES PATENTS 4126 Banta 62246 19/52 Petty 62-246 

5. A MERCHANDISE DISPLAY CASE COMPRISED OF A HOLLOW CABINET, AN ICE-RETAINING BAFFLE WITHIN SAID CABINET, SAID BAFFLE HAVING AT LEAST ONE PASSAGE DISPOSED THERETHROUGH, AT LEAST ONE MERCHANDISE SUPPORTING TRAY, AND TRAY SUPPORTING MEANS, SAID TRAY SUPPORTING MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO PASS THROUGH SAID AT LEAST ONE PASSAGE, SAID CABINET HAVING TOP, BOTTOM, FRONT, REAR AND SIDE WALLS, SAID ICERETAINING BAFFLE BEING RESILIENTLY AND REMOVABLY SECURED TO SAID REAR WALL IN SPACED, SUPERPOSED RELATION WITH RESPECT THERETO, SAID TRAY SUPPORTING MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID TRAY CONTIGUOUSLY AGAINST SAID BAFFLE, SAID BAFFLE BEING INTERMEDIATE SAID TRAY AND SAID REAR WALL, SAID REAR WALL, TRAY AND BAFFLE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DISPOSED. 